But police stats show most crimes dropping in SE

NEWPORT NEWS — Politicians and citizens groups in Southeast Newport News have spoken out in recent weeks about a surge in crime in their community — especially shootings.

The concern, according to the groups and city officials, was heightened by the shooting death of Joseph Henry Williams, a 71-year-old church deacon who was in his car, bringing dinner home to his wife, when he was hit by stray gunfire.

But Williams' death is not the only incident to get mentioned. At a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event earlier this month, Newport News Councilwoman Tina Vick spoke of shootings as well as a plague of robberies and home invasions.

City officials don't downplay the gravity of the deacon's death, but they note that overall crime is down significantly in the South Precinct, which includes the Southeast Community.

Police department statistics for 2012 and 2013 show that among the seven categories tracked by the city, crime dropped in three — homicide, rape and larceny; stayed steady in three — robbery, burglary and aggravated assault; and rose significantly in one — vehicle theft.

The overall number of homicides — which have occurred at a disproportionately high level in the last two years in the southern part of the city — dropped almost by half from 2012 to 2013.

City Manager Jim Bourey said he's inclined to believe the statistics that show crime on the whole down, citywide and in the city's southern section.

"It's down," Bourey said. But, he added, "the nature of what happened (to Williams) the Sunday before last affects us all."

"That one's sad," said police spokesman Lou Thurston last week. "Sad's not a strong enough word. He's a deacon in the church, he's on his way to bring dinner to his wife, minding his own business."

Southeast residents say Williams' death is not an isolated incident and argue that police statistics are misleading and not particularly reassuring.

"There's random shootings, and a lot of stuff is not reported," said Terry Riddick, whose group Stop the Violence in our Community, held a town hall meeting at a local church on Thursday.

Bishop Kendrick Turner, who's working with Riddick, agreed, saying trust between Southeast residents and Newport News Police is at a level where "people are not coming forward when they see a crime. We want them to bring something to me and Terry because a lot of people aren't going to talk to police."

Thurston said the Williams case is so high-profile that it has overshadowed the decline in crime in southeastern Newport News in 2013.

At the meeting, Riddick said that incident and others show that the city should be committing more resources to the Southeast Community, and not necessarily through traditional methods.

He said an ambassadorship program run by his nonprofit and funded in part by the city could turn young people in danger of getting involved with crime into law-abiding citizens.

"They're standing on that corner all day," he said, but "they can be an ambassador."

He envisions young people serving as the eyes, the ears and the non-violent presence in their communities when police aren't monitoring certain blocks or corners.

The program, which he said he's turned into a 30-page plan, would mean money, and Turner has said they're looking at bringing a funding proposal to council soon.

Most recent requests for new city money have faced uphill climbs, as the council stares down a $10 million budget deficit. Riddick and Turner did not say how much money they want for their program, though Riddick has stressed it would not be a huge amount.

Assistant Police Chief Lorenzo Sheppard, who attended the meeting, said he wanted to work with Riddick on the proposal.

And he said police need to be more proactive so that shootings like the one that killed Williams don't happen at all.

"We don't want to wait until something like this happens (to hold community meetings)," he said.

Sheppard also said he's hopeful the tragic shooting leads people in the community to come forward and help the ongoing police investigation.

Bourey said whatever the crime trends, the police department needs to strengthen ties with area residents. He said Chief Richard Myers, who was sworn in earlier this month, brings to the city a philosophy that will allow that to happen.

"We have to do our part, too, and it's why the new chief was hired," Bourey said. "He's going to understand engaging in the community in a way that it's a joint effort."